Campanula plant named ‘Bkpcmpir’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Campanula  plant named ‘Bkpcmpir’ characterized by its compact, upright to outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; campanulate-shaped flowers with purple-colored petals; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Campanula portenschlagiana.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BKPCMPIR’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Campanula plant, botanically known as Campanula portenschlagiana, commonly known as Dalmatian Bellflower and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bkpcmpir’.

The new Campanula is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Maasdijk, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely flowering Campanula plants with attractive flowers and good interior and garden performance.

The new Campanula plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in Maasdijk, The Netherlands in May, 2011 of a proprietary selection of Campanula portenschlagiana identified as code number 4400248, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Campanula portenschlagiana identified as code number 4401034, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Campanula plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled outdoor nursery in Maasdijk, The Netherlands in June, 2012.

Asexual reproduction of the new Campanula plant by terminal cuttings in Maasdijk, The Netherlands, since January, 2013 has shown that the unique features of this new Campanula plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Campanula have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bkpcmpir’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bkpcmpir’ as a new and distinct Campanula plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright to outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Campanulate-shaped flowers with purple-colored petals.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Campanula differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Campanula are more mounding than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Campanula flower earlier than plants of the         female parent selection.

Plants of the new Campanula differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Campanula are more compact than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Campanula have shorter lateral branches         than plants of the male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Campanula and the male parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the male parent selection         have light purple-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Campanula can be compared to plants of Campanula portenschlagiana ‘Bkpcmpjy’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 13/998,705. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Campanula differ primarily from plants of ‘Bkpcmpjy’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Campanula are more compact than plants of         ‘Bkpcmpjy’.     -   2. Plants of the new Campanula have smaller leaves than plants         of ‘Bkpcmpjy’.     -   3. Plants of the new Campanula flower earlier than plants of         ‘Bkpcmpjy’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Campanula plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Campanula plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bkpcmpir’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bkpcmpir’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following description were grown in 12-cm containers during the summer in a glass-covered greenhouse in Maasdijk, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial production conditions. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 19° C. and night temperatures ranged from 14° C. to 16° C. Plants were 13.5 weeks old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Campanula portenschlagiana ‘Bkpcmpir’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Campanula             portenschlagiana identified as code number 4400248, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Campanula             portenschlagiana identified as code number 4401034, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About two weeks             at temperatures about 19° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer and             winter.—About three weeks at temperatures about 19° C. to             20° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; white in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; compact,             upright to outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching             habit with about 46 branches developing per plant;             moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 19.5 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 35.8 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Aspect: Upright to prostrate,             ranging from about 5° to 90° from vertical. Length: About             15.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Internode length: About             1.4 cm. Strength: Moderately weak. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 144A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 1.4 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.6 cm.         -   Shape.—Reniform to orbicular.         -   Apex.—Broadly acute.         -   Base.—Reniform to broadly attenuate.         -   Margin.—Coarsely and irregularly dentate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C. Fully             developed leaves, upper surface: Close to N137C; venation,             close to 143A. Fully developed leaves, lower surface: Close             to 137B to 137C; venation, close to 143A.         -   Petioles.—Length, lower leaves: About 4.3 cm. Diameter,             lower leaves: About 1 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             143B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Single campanulate flowers             arranged in axillary and terminal cymes; flowers face             upright to outwardly; freely flowering habit with about six             flowers developing per inflorescence and about 2,000 flowers             per plant developing during the flowering season.         -   Natural flowering season.—Early flowering habit; plants             begin flowering about 13 weeks after planting; in the             garden, flowering continuous from late May to late August in             The Netherlands.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About 18 days; flowers             persistent.         -   Fragrance.—Faint, pleasant.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 6.6 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 5.5 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 9 mm.             Shape: Oblong. Color: Developing sepals (outer surface),             close to 143C; developing petals, close to 85A.         -   Flower diameter.—About 2.3 cm.         -   Flower length (height).—About 2.2 cm.         -   Petals.—Arrangement: Five in a single whorl; lower 60% of             petal length fused. Length: About 2.3 cm. Width, free part             of the petal: About 6 mm. Shape: Narrowly oblanceolate.             Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper             surface: Free portion, close to N87B; fused portion, close             to N87D. When opening, lower surface: Close to N86B and             N86C. Fully opened, upper surface: Free portion, close to             N87B; fused portion, close to N87D; color does not fade with             development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to N87C;             color does not fade with development.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Five in a single campanulate whorl;             lower 20% of sepals fused. Length: About 8 mm. Width, base             of free part of the sepal: About 1.5 mm. Shape: Lanceolate.             Apex: Narrowly acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When developing,             upper surface: Close to 143A. When developing, lower             surface: Close to 143C. Fully developed, upper surface:             Close to 143A. Fully developed, lower surface: Close to             143B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3.7 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Aspect: Terminal inflorescences, upright; axillary             inflorescences, about 50° from stem axis. Strength:             Moderately weak. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to             144A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 0.75 mm.             Aspect: About 30° from peduncle axis. Strength: Moderately             weak. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 143B to             143C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five.             Filament length: About 1 mm. Filament color: Close to             NN155D. Anther length: About 5 mm. Anther shape: Lanceolate.             Anther color: Close to 4C. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen             color: Close to 4D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One.             Pistil length: About 1.1 cm. Stigma shape: Decurrent. Stigma             color: Close to 85A. Style length: About 1 cm. Style color:             Close to 85A to 85B. Ovary color: Close to 143C.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production have not been             observed on plants of the new Campanula. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Campanula have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Campanula     plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Campanula have exhibited good     tolerance to rain, wind and temperatures ranging from about −5° C.     to about 30° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Campanula plant named ‘Bkpcmpir’ as illustrated and described. 